Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
God, who is patient and comforting, is the one who must give believers patience and comfort to make them united in mind toward each other. To be united in this way is to lay aside divided opinions and become one in thought, purpose and judgment after the pattern of Christ, rather than remaining split into many different minds. That oneness enables them together with one mind and one voice to honor God, even the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, fulfilling Christ's desire that his followers be one. Living it out means following Christ who did not please himself, so the strong bear the failings of the weak, receive one another as Christ received them, surrender self and put away conflict to seek peace and edification. This harmony comes through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures and grows in proportion to illumination by the Holy Spirit, and when believers love one another in humility it testifies to the world that God sent Jesus.
God Grants United Mind
Paul names God the God of patience and consolation, the source on whom believers depend for patience and comfort to be granted to them. His prayer is that this God grant them to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus. That granted likemindedness is lived in peace, setting self aside.
To be likeminded is to yield differences of opinion and join together in one mind and one judgment. It is not remaining divided into half a dozen different minds or a great variety of minds. For commandment-keeping people this means coming into union with the body with one mind and one judgment so that with one mind and one mouth they glorify God.
This unity is oneness in thought and purpose according to Christ Jesus. It is not sameness of personalities. According to Christ Jesus means shaped by his example and spirit and lived in harmony with one another according to that example. It is unity in the pattern of Christ, with a shared mind shaped by Christ and a shared purpose leading to glorifying God together.
The granted unity enables believers together with one mind and one mouth, or one voice, to glorify God, even the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. This includes receiving one another as Christ received them to the glory of God, being of the same mind toward one another, not minding high things, condescending to men of low estate, and not being wise in self-conceit. This oneness fulfills Christ's prayer and desire that his followers be one, and obeying this definite, unmistakable instruction preserves union and harmony in the church. It is the unity the church is meant to have, a state the spiritual gifts were given to secure.
The patience and comfort of the Scriptures, written aforetime for learning, give hope and are the means through which God gives this unity. God gives patience and consolation through the Scriptures, and is asked on that basis to make believers like-minded according to Jesus Christ so they may glorify him together with one mind and one voice. Learning from those Scriptures corrects lack of unity and lack of love, teaching the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak instead of pleasing themselves.
This unity exists only in proportion to illumination and sanctification by the Holy Spirit, who brings harmony and right relationship with Christ. When the Holy Spirit works in hearts and abides there, believers are brought into harmony, called to humility and love rather than animosity, criticism, and faultfinding. The more fully they receive the enlightenment of the living Spirit, the more nearly they harmonize in understanding truth, the more closely they unite in judgment, the more confidence they have in one another, and they are blessed with peace and harmony, believing and speaking the same things, united in the closest bonds of Christian fellowship and love as one body under one supreme Head, with one heart and one mouth glorifying God. Their love and Christian unity testifies with convicting power to the world that God sent Jesus to save sinners and that the Word of God is the safe rule of life. So it was after Christ's resurrection and ascension, when union prevailed and believers were all of one heart and one mind, and even the dispute over circumcision and the admission of uncircumcised Gentiles was soon settled, so that through divine illumination and sanctification they were perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, which is always the fruit borne under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Living in Christlike Harmony
Likemindedness follows Christ who did not please Himself but bore reproach, so those who are strong are to bear the infirmities of the weak and not please themselves, but please a neighbor for his good to edification and follow after things that make for peace. This unity means living in peace, setting self aside, and serving others rather than pleasing self in the church. Patience and comfort from Scripture sustain hope as believers live and serve together in this way. Believers are therefore to receive one another as Christ received them, to the glory of God. This receiving means being of the same mind one toward another, not minding high things, condescending to men of low estate, and not being wise in self-conceit.
Christ leads out a people into unity of the faith to be one as He is one with the Father. The verse is a definite, unmistakable instruction in God's word to be obeyed to preserve union and harmony in the church and to glorify God together with one mind and one mouth, fulfilling Christ's desire that His followers be one. Unity requires self to be completely surrendered to God and the spirit of conflict to be put away, for those united to Christ will be united to one another. Such like-mindedness means living in peace, setting self-interest aside, bearing the weaknesses of others, and seeking their good.
When the Holy Spirit abides in the heart believers are placed under obligation and accountability to God to love one another in harmony, humility, and love instead of animosity, criticism, and faultfinding, humbling their hearts daily, seeking new conversion, and carrying out the Word in every particular. They are to bear patiently with one another rather than act from self-interest or an intolerant spirit. This means being pitiful and courteous, kind, patient, and tender in speech. It means correcting errors without making sport of weakness, giving a tried brother a chance, helping him get above thinking of himself, refusing to judge him or put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in his way, and having long patience with those who do not see as they do.
It means breaking reliance on finite sufficiency and taking hold of the Mighty One, falling on the Rock and being broken, overcoming hereditary and cultivated faults of character, and being doers of the Word and not hearers only with none of self and all of Christ. It means drawing near to brethren to respect and love them, cultivating confidence rather than suspicion, speaking and acting out any good that can be reported of another, rejoicing not in iniquity but in the truth, and refusing to belittle another person's reputation or standing since doing so expresses self-importance. It means guarding speech, refusing to speak unadvisedly, refusing to listen to criticism and faultfinding, speaking kindly and tenderly, refusing contention and quarreling, murmuring, and retaliation when provoked or spoken to harshly, remaining silent rather than retaliating, humbling the heart with confession of sin, keeping the eye fixed on Jesus who does not find fault but shows perils to deliver from them, and making it a business to educate the tongue to speak pleasant words, since a quarrelsome, faultfinding disposition bars entrance into the city of God. Being likeminded in this way requires sanctified brain-power and sanctified talent of speech, and only when these are sanctified are people fitted for service.
The verse means standing on vantage ground before God without fault by perfecting holy character through the merits of Christ, looking unto Jesus and becoming changed into His image with Christ as efficiency, healer, strength, front guard, and rearward, so that the salvation of God is revealed through believers and unbelievers are converted and see that God's Word means something. God observes and blesses every act of self-denial and self-sacrifice for others. In practice this self-denying unity guards the lips from guile, holds to correct principles at any cost, works the works of God, practices strict honesty bringing no false principles into dealings, practices self-denying economy and simplicity to help the cause of truth, lets light shine in appeals and warnings, and sets a holy example that leads the sympathies of friends heavenward, so that serving Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved of men. This united mind is needed to resist temptation and Satan's power, speak in harmony, glorify God, and carry out missionary work effectively.
God, who is patient and comforting, is the one who must give believers patience and comfort to make them united in mind toward each other. To be united in this way is to lay aside divided opinions and become one in thought, purpose and judgment after the pattern of Christ, rather than remaining split into many different minds. That oneness enables them together with one mind and one voice to honor God, even the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, fulfilling Christ's desire that his followers be one. Living it out means following Christ who did not please himself, so the strong bear the failings of the weak, receive one another as Christ received them, surrender self and put away conflict to seek peace and edification. This harmony comes through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures and grows in proportion to illumination by the Holy Spirit, and when believers love one another in humility it testifies to the world that God sent Jesus.
God Grants United Mind
Paul names God the God of patience and consolation, the source on whom believers depend for patience and comfort to be granted to them. His prayer is that this God grant them to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus. That granted likemindedness is lived in peace, setting self aside.
To be likeminded is to yield differences of opinion and join together in one mind and one judgment. It is not remaining divided into half a dozen different minds or a great variety of minds. For commandment-keeping people this means coming into union with the body with one mind and one judgment so that with one mind and one mouth they glorify God.
This unity is oneness in thought and purpose according to Christ Jesus. It is not sameness of personalities. According to Christ Jesus means shaped by his example and spirit and lived in harmony with one another according to that example. It is unity in the pattern of Christ, with a shared mind shaped by Christ and a shared purpose leading to glorifying God together.
The granted unity enables believers together with one mind and one mouth, or one voice, to glorify God, even the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. This includes receiving one another as Christ received them to the glory of God, being of the same mind toward one another, not minding high things, condescending to men of low estate, and not being wise in self-conceit. This oneness fulfills Christ's prayer and desire that his followers be one, and obeying this definite, unmistakable instruction preserves union and harmony in the church. It is the unity the church is meant to have, a state the spiritual gifts were given to secure.
The patience and comfort of the Scriptures, written aforetime for learning, give hope and are the means through which God gives this unity. God gives patience and consolation through the Scriptures, and is asked on that basis to make believers like-minded according to Jesus Christ so they may glorify him together with one mind and one voice. Learning from those Scriptures corrects lack of unity and lack of love, teaching the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak instead of pleasing themselves.
This unity exists only in proportion to illumination and sanctification by the Holy Spirit, who brings harmony and right relationship with Christ. When the Holy Spirit works in hearts and abides there, believers are brought into harmony, called to humility and love rather than animosity, criticism, and faultfinding. The more fully they receive the enlightenment of the living Spirit, the more nearly they harmonize in understanding truth, the more closely they unite in judgment, the more confidence they have in one another, and they are blessed with peace and harmony, believing and speaking the same things, united in the closest bonds of Christian fellowship and love as one body under one supreme Head, with one heart and one mouth glorifying God. Their love and Christian unity testifies with convicting power to the world that God sent Jesus to save sinners and that the Word of God is the safe rule of life. So it was after Christ's resurrection and ascension, when union prevailed and believers were all of one heart and one mind, and even the dispute over circumcision and the admission of uncircumcised Gentiles was soon settled, so that through divine illumination and sanctification they were perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, which is always the fruit borne under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Living in Christlike Harmony
Likemindedness follows Christ who did not please Himself but bore reproach, so those who are strong are to bear the infirmities of the weak and not please themselves, but please a neighbor for his good to edification and follow after things that make for peace. This unity means living in peace, setting self aside, and serving others rather than pleasing self in the church. Patience and comfort from Scripture sustain hope as believers live and serve together in this way. Believers are therefore to receive one another as Christ received them, to the glory of God. This receiving means being of the same mind one toward another, not minding high things, condescending to men of low estate, and not being wise in self-conceit.
Christ leads out a people into unity of the faith to be one as He is one with the Father. The verse is a definite, unmistakable instruction in God's word to be obeyed to preserve union and harmony in the church and to glorify God together with one mind and one mouth, fulfilling Christ's desire that His followers be one. Unity requires self to be completely surrendered to God and the spirit of conflict to be put away, for those united to Christ will be united to one another. Such like-mindedness means living in peace, setting self-interest aside, bearing the weaknesses of others, and seeking their good.
When the Holy Spirit abides in the heart believers are placed under obligation and accountability to God to love one another in harmony, humility, and love instead of animosity, criticism, and faultfinding, humbling their hearts daily, seeking new conversion, and carrying out the Word in every particular. They are to bear patiently with one another rather than act from self-interest or an intolerant spirit. This means being pitiful and courteous, kind, patient, and tender in speech. It means correcting errors without making sport of weakness, giving a tried brother a chance, helping him get above thinking of himself, refusing to judge him or put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in his way, and having long patience with those who do not see as they do.
It means breaking reliance on finite sufficiency and taking hold of the Mighty One, falling on the Rock and being broken, overcoming hereditary and cultivated faults of character, and being doers of the Word and not hearers only with none of self and all of Christ. It means drawing near to brethren to respect and love them, cultivating confidence rather than suspicion, speaking and acting out any good that can be reported of another, rejoicing not in iniquity but in the truth, and refusing to belittle another person's reputation or standing since doing so expresses self-importance. It means guarding speech, refusing to speak unadvisedly, refusing to listen to criticism and faultfinding, speaking kindly and tenderly, refusing contention and quarreling, murmuring, and retaliation when provoked or spoken to harshly, remaining silent rather than retaliating, humbling the heart with confession of sin, keeping the eye fixed on Jesus who does not find fault but shows perils to deliver from them, and making it a business to educate the tongue to speak pleasant words, since a quarrelsome, faultfinding disposition bars entrance into the city of God. Being likeminded in this way requires sanctified brain-power and sanctified talent of speech, and only when these are sanctified are people fitted for service.
The verse means standing on vantage ground before God without fault by perfecting holy character through the merits of Christ, looking unto Jesus and becoming changed into His image with Christ as efficiency, healer, strength, front guard, and rearward, so that the salvation of God is revealed through believers and unbelievers are converted and see that God's Word means something. God observes and blesses every act of self-denial and self-sacrifice for others. In practice this self-denying unity guards the lips from guile, holds to correct principles at any cost, works the works of God, practices strict honesty bringing no false principles into dealings, practices self-denying economy and simplicity to help the cause of truth, lets light shine in appeals and warnings, and sets a holy example that leads the sympathies of friends heavenward, so that serving Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved of men. This united mind is needed to resist temptation and Satan's power, speak in harmony, glorify God, and carry out missionary work effectively.